Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1887-06-03
JOHN HALLE i i SECRET.

= luu NtcsWSS Cienr uilufury on tho nil,
although tho mists OF nh autumn twl.
light wcrc scttling down on tho busy little
town In the valley below.
Mr. Hnllct had been nm Invalid for the.
last week, or two !. not Ill enough to cause
any alarm. yet not we'll enough to 20 to
the city rs usunl; and thankful TINT he
had shrcwd. sensible son, both nble
and willing to take his place. = 8
Henry threw, hlmsplf Into the broach
mnnfully, mud had cvcn slopt In town fol
several nights. that he might sit later al
his books, and begin carllcr.
Tile mother would l,aya preferred to
stay md watch for her boys coming but
! MIR. Hallctwas calling, nnd she went to
him: He was surveying n doomed
honeysucklc,
I've planted 1t tho yoar Henry was
born" ho reminded HIS wife. 81 sup
pose you think that would bo reason
for letting 1t tstand2's
Mrs. Hallcts smilod as sho replied !:
a. Nay, John; 1t is not who give away
to scihiment."
Tho words wcro no sooner spoken thnn
siie wished she had not uttered them, for
II frown contracted hor husbands brow,
and ilc. raised his eyos lnyoluntarllyto
wherc q couple of windows were nearly
hidden by the passion flower.
In tho room those windows should
ihNO hHuLcht cOtll I1utiCL tthInCI nQu
spent tho closing years OF his lifo. An
accident rendered him incapable OF lcay-
Ing II. and when he expired, hfs wifo soon
followed him to the grave.
From tho day. OF the funeral not a
crcaturc wns allowed TO enter this room
but old Lisbetli. tho trusty German who
had ',rifted into tho household OF tho
Halie;s in her youth. '
Asl:out from the children proclaimed
thR. Henry had como.
His first look WIS for his mother.
After he hnd satisfied herself thut he did
not appear to DO any tho worse for the
confinement and hard work OF tho week,
she WIZ content To stand quietly by while
business matters were discussed. She
could lave fnnciod that Henry was
rather restless under tho questioning to
which hs; was subjected.
But nj i.st Mr.. Hallct appeared eatIs.
fled, and he would have led the way In.
doors, but now. in eager haste, the Young
man poured forth the .tidings he had
! been burning to tell.
Such. ncws for you, father! Mother
dear, what do you think has hnppcncd7
Aunt Mary sent for me tho other evening
you will say that that liz not n very ui-
common occurrences" and Horny nnd
Mrs. Hallot intcrchanged amused smiles,
for Miss Mary Hallet was ono Of tho fus-
otootO VA thhl0Cil ihdtCb. QUO Stnt IOr Inc
thnt she might Introduce me 10 some now
relations from over the sea You had a
brother, papa. who died not long aftor
my grandfather"
= Mr. Hnllct. did not Immediately reply.
Yes. Sho had had llnlf-brothcr, whose
restless disposition had induced him to
demand his portion and sail away with 1t
to America. After many wan,lerings ho
Ind settled In Canada and married.
~ 10 Inl vi. l.! a
/ spcctfnR tho mistakes lie had made, the
I. misfortuncs thnt hnd befalicn him but
I Just before tho death of tho elder Mr..
Hnllct. u runor reached England thnt
tho Canadian farm did not pay, and its
owner was struggling with sickness us
well as an unfavor.lblo season. Offers OF
+, help wcrc sent, but they wcrc declined !;
those offers were repeated to Tom HUI
lets widow, and again, but moro Gratc-
fully. refused. Since that timc. long
years ago, no intercourse had been kept
up between the families; what, then. did
Henry mean2 -ssff' - &.
lit was to my uncle Toms elder
daughters Aunt Mary introduced me
They arc tall, bright, handsome girls.
merry and frank and unaffected, yet quite
MS lady-likc rs my sisters Eva and Emmn.
laIliey have led busy life, working
with their mother to FREQ tho farm OF its
encumlranccs. Their lnbors have been
successful; thoy are prospcrlng Mt last !:
and sot hey have folt themselves Justified
in taking trip to England, to make
acquaintance, with their kindrcd."
a. And crossed the Atlantic alono !" or
clnimed Mrs. Hnllct.
Oh, no. thoy camo under the wing
OF a friend. tho elderly Indy who took
mated hor. and" Henry turned to his
silent father, "and I think--I am sure
you will like your nioccs, sir-tllcy arc
charming girls"
But Mr.. lInllot put out his hands, cry
Ing hoarscly Z" Keep them away FROM
mo J! lwlll not have them hcroi"
And SO saying, he went quiclllyint tho
house, whittier his wife would hnye fol.
lowed II hcr son had not Detained her
Mother, what docs this mcan?" ho
asked. (" Is my father worse? Is 1t pos
siblc that he knows what no is snying!
Hc never had any quarrel with tInclo
Tom. did he? Then what could have
made him speak so Strangely"
d" not know; perhaps sudden
spasm. Unjust go to him."
plain himself. for they arc coming hero.
thcso cousins of mIno. I told them In
your name and my fathcr's, TINT they
would bo welcome; and SO Thought
thoy would. How can moot them
again? how tell thcm--"
And then. groaning In his Impaticnce
and alarm. Henry hurried his mother In.
II.
On Monday morning Dir. Hnllct pro-
nomnccd himself ablo to go to business
They would have 4piticd him hadt
known what Sunday he hnd spent
shutting himself away from his family
hccuuso every questioning look tbcv
turned upon him scomed to pierce his
heart and lay bare that which he hid
within 1t.
Yes, tho upright, honorable John Hal.
let had secret that no had burlcd so
deep down rs to bo sometimes forgotten,
until chance word or recollection would
bring 1t back to his memory. He Ind a
trouble ofswhich no ono knew anything
but old Lisbeth. and even she did not
suspect It's nature.
mall honesty OF purpose she had told
hin. asFbe stood by his mothcr's coffin,
that Madams dearest Wish had been to
see licr.nlsent son Tom.
81 think she Ind a message for him."